Amalgamating apparatus



(No Model.) 4 SheetsSheet 1. T. J. LOVETT. AMALGAMATING APPARATUS.

No. 533,478. Patented Feb. 5,1895.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

T. J. LOVETT; AMALGAMATING APPARATUS.

No. 533,478. Patented'Feb. 5 1-895.

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T. J. LOVETT. v AMALGAMATING APPARATUS. No. 533,478. Patented Feb. 5, 1895.

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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4,

T. J. LOVETT.

. AMALGAMATING APPARATUS.

No 538,478. Patented Feb. 5, 1895.

UNITED STATES THOMAS J. LOVETT, O

PATENT rrrcn.

F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AMALGAMATING APPARATUS.

SPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 533,478, dated February 5, 1895.

Application filed March 31, 189%.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. Lovn'rr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of lllinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Amalgamating Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in the class of rotaryamalgamatorsin which the mercury-pot, into which the ore is introduced for amalgamation, is caused to revolve and is provided with means for subjecting the ore to an attrition-action in the pot, to enhance the amalgamating operation.

The primary object of my improvement is to enable the use to be dispensed with of attrition-balls as the medium for rubbing the ore undergoing amalgamation, and substitute therefor more efiective means, which shall present the important advantage of avoiding any burdening of the pot with their weight, and accordingly render easier the revolving of the pot.

To this end my invention consists, in its broadest sense, in a mercury-pot supported to revolve eccentrically in a more or less horizontal plane, and an attrition device suspended to extend downwardloosely into the pot and operative to be swung therein to exert a rubbing action on the ore.

My invention further consists in the general construction of the apparatus; and it also consists in details of construction and combinations of parts.

Referring to the accompanying drawings Figure 1 shows my improved apparatus by a broken view in vertical sectional elevation. Fig. 2 is a broken top-view of the same with the attrition-device removed. Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view of the base carrying the rotary eccentric guide for the mercurypot. Fig. 4: is a similar view of the mercury-pot and showing the attrition-device therein in section. Fig. 5 is a section taken at the line 5 on Fig. 1, viewed in the direction of the arrow and enlarged; and Fig. 6 is a view like that presented in Fig. 1, but showing a modification of the attrition-device.

A is the frame comprising a base provided with a central step q and having secured to it the uprights A converging toward their upper ends at which they carry the top A Serial No. 505,890. (No model.)

B is the mercury-pot formed preferably of boiler-metal, and provided with a metal lining g, and having the circular shape illustrated, though it may be of any other desired shape. From the center of the base of the pot there extends a stud 7', which enters a hole or bearing r in a rotary guide C, shown as a disk, centrally journaled in the step q with the bearing r for the stud r eccentric to the journal 0*, whereby revolving the guide on its journal revolves the mercury-pot, which, being flexibly or pendulously suspended from the top A to relieve the mercury pot B of its Weight and reduce to the minimum the rotating power, is revolved by the guide on the cocentric journal r.

The means for suspending the pot are shown as rods 1) containing turn-buckles p and provided at their lower ends with bifurcated heads p which straddle at difierent points vertical flanges p on the shell of the mercury-pot to which they are pivoted; while the rods terminate at their upper ends in rounded bearing-heads p fitting socket-bearings p at suitable points in the top A about its center. In the center of the top A is a socket-bearing 0 through which extends a shaft D loosely supported therein (according to the construction represented by Fig. 1) by a rounded bearing 0 and reaching downward into the mercury-pot, where it carries an attrition-head D, shown as of approximately cylindrical shape, and forming with the shaft the attrition-device.

The guide 0 is driven from a shaft E journaled on the base of the apparatus and carrying a beveled gear 711-, meshing withasimilar gear m on the guide-journal T and a beltpulley m The shaft 1) may also be rotated by providing it, at its upper protruding end, with a pulley Z connected by a belt Z with a pulley Z on the drive-shaft, to which it passes over guide-pulleys l on a shaft Z journaled in a bracket-extension Z of the top A The base of the pct 13 is provided with a series of parallel transverse mercury-troughs or channels it, which should be lined with a suitable cement or other insulating material 75', the purpose of which is to adapt the mercury in the troughs to carry an electric current, introduced at so into one end of each trough and leaving at m, at the opposite end thereof. The electric current may be employed to increase the amalgamating action of the mercury by enlivening it, as it were.

From the upperedge of the mercury-pot, at one side thereof, there extends a dischargespout '5; and about the upper edge is an annular screen F, formed preferablyin sections to extend between the flanges 19, whereby worn parts of the screen may be replaced Without requiring the entire screen to be removed and discarded.

The operation is as follows: Mercury being provided in the troughs 7.: and the ore, in pulverized condition and mixed with Water, being introduced into the pot, the shaft E is set in motion, thereby revolving the guide 0 and the pot B with a slight undulatory motion in its orbit. Unless the shaft D be rotated (and it need not be, necessarily) a ball, indicated at G, should be provided loosely in the pot and the operator starts the pendulous shaft to swing, when it strikes the sides of the pot and the eccentric motion of the latter knocks it back and forth causing its head D to cooperate with the ball and thoroughly subject the ore to attrition. If the shaft D be rotated, its rotary action, in swinging, against the inner side of the mercury-pot exerts the desired attrition-effect on the ore, and the ball G may then be dispensed with.

The device may also be used for dry amalgamation, when, however a suitable hood (not shown) should be provided to cover the mercury pot to retain the pulverized ore therein.

The apparatus, as shown in Fig. 6, is in all particulars the same as in Fig. 1 except as to the attrition-device, the rotatably supported shaft D of which is firmly supported by an elongated vertical bearing 0 in the top A and carries at its lower end a head it provided at different points about its center with socketbearings 0 in which fit the rounded heads h on the ends of swinging shafts D shown as four in number and each carrying and attrition-head D, like that in the apparatus as represented by Fig. 1, but smaller.

In the modified construction, rotation of the shaft D spreads the heads D on their shafts D oentrifugally, and the contact with them of the inner side of the mercury-pot in motion tends to rotate the heads D and impel them in various directions, causing them to co-opcrate to produce the desired thorough attrition-action on the ore.

The described construction of my improved apparatus renders it not only very effective as an amalgamator, owing to the thorough rubbing to which the ore is subjected and to the agitated condition maintained in the mercury, whereby it is caused to present itself the better, for amalgamation, to the ore; but the suspended mercury-pot, unencumbered with the weight of the means of attrition, renders it very easy to run, requiring for a pot of large size the employment of a comparatively small or weak motor.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an amalgamator, a rotary mercury pot, a rotary guide eccentrically on which the pot is journaled, an attrition-device pendulously suspended from above the pot and ex tending downward into it, and driving-means for the guide, substantially as described.

2. In an amalgamator, a rotatably suspended mercury-pot, a rotary guide eccentrically on which the pot is journaled, an attritiondevice pendulously suspended from above the pot and extending downward into it, and driving means for the guide, substantially as described.

3. In an amalgamator, a rotatably suspended mercury-pot, a rotary guide eccentrically on which the pot is journaled, a rotatable attrition-device pendulously suspended from above the pot and extending downward into it, and driving means for the guide comprising a beveled gear m and a drive-shaft E carrying a beveled gear m, meshing with the gear m, and a pulley Z geared to said attrition-device, substantially as described.

4. In an amalgamator, the combination of a frame, a guide journaled on the base of the frame, a mercury-pot eccentrically journaled on the guide, suspension-rods pendulously supported at their upper ends on the top of the frame and pivotally connected at their lower ends with the pot, an attrition-head supported to depend from the top of the frame in the pot and pendulously suspended from its support, and means for drivingthe guide, sub

stantially as described.

5. In an amalgamator, the combination of a frame, a guide journaled on the base of the frame, a mercury-pot eccentrically journaled on the guide, suspension-rods having rounded-head supports at their upper ends in sockets on the top of the frame and pivotally connected at their lower ends with the pot, an attrition-device having an attrition-head supported to depend from the top of the frame in the pot and pendulously suspended from its support, and driving-means connected with the guide and geared with the attrition-device, substantially as described.

6. In an amalgamator, a rotary mercurypot having a sectional annular screen about its upper edge, a rotary guide, eccentrically on which the pot is journaled, an attritiondevice pendulously suspended from above the pot and extending downward into it, and driving-means for the guide, substantially as described.

7. In an amalgamator,a rotatably suspended mercurypot, a rotary guide eccentrically on which the pot is journaled, an attrition-device comprising a shaft journaled in the top of the amalgamator-frame to depend therefrom and provided with a bearing-head at its lower end and attrition-heads pendulously suspended on shafts from said bearing-head, and driving-means for the guide geared with said shaft of the. attrition-device, substanand pendulously suspended from its snppert, 1o tielly as described. a beveled gear m on the guide-journal, and a 8. In an amalgamator, the combination of drive-shaftE earryingabeveled gear m mesha frame A, a guide 0 journaled 0n the base ing with the gear m, substantially as de- 5 of the frame, a mercurypot B eecentrically scribed.

journaled on the guide, suspension-rods p THOMAS J. LOVETT. pendulously connecting the pot with the top In presence ofof the frame, an attrition-head supported to M. J. FROST,

depend from the top of the frame in the pot V. U. WILLIAMS. 

